Gerda Bergsma achter een bureau in een woonhuis op Sumatra 1914 - 1926

This vintage photograph captures Gerda Bergsma behind a desk in a house on Sumatra. The photo, which is in black and white, is probably a silver gelatin print. I wonder who took this photo and what they were thinking? This feels like a moment frozen in time; a woman working at her desk, maybe writing a letter. Maybe she's a painter too? The ordinariness of the composition is what grabs me. There’s a sense of quiet contemplation, as if we’ve stumbled upon a private moment. I'm reminded of Agnes Martin's work, which invites a similar sense of inner reflection. Whether painting or photography, artists engage in a continual dialogue across time, inspiring each other’s creativity. In their own way, this photograph shows that making art embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple readings.